Airshow Photography

[Sobby]

As some of will know the skys in Britain are rarely a vivd blue, so my question is

What would I need to get a deeper blue sky when at airshows? Something that will bring out the blue of the sky but reduce the grey.

[Craig.]

polarising filter.

[Rifleman]

If you are shooting digital, then you will need a circular polarizer but remember that when using it, you're going to lose lens speed.....usually 1 to 2 stops, so if your max aperture on the lens is only a 5.6 or worse, you're going to need a bright day to use it........
You can pan for motion blur of the background with it, but if you want to stop all action, its not going to be an easy task.......

BTW, I just picked one up (circular polarizer) for my new E-500 ......58mm will do both of my zoom lenses but at $50 CDN I think I'll share one between them for now ...........

[F3Hadlow]

If you are shooting digital, then you will need a circular polarizer but remember that when using it, you're going to lose lens speed.....usually 1 to 2 stops, so if your max aperture on the lens is only a 5.6 or worse, you're going to need a bright day to use it........
You can pan for motion blur of the background with it, but if you want to stop all action, its not going to be an easy task.......

Spot on.

[Sobby]

cheers for the info guys

[town]

You could also use colour cast or vignette (graduated) filters. Cokin have (or used to) a plethero of options

[vololiberista]

With a half decent digital camera you can point it at the sky, press the shutter release half way so that the exposure for it will be correct, still holding the button at half cock bring the object into view and press the shutter.  The object will be under exposed by about one stop but put it through a graphics programe like PSP and gamma correct the image eg 1.39 (more than 1) until you feel you have the right balance of colour and contrast.
Vololiberista

[F3Hadlow]

With a half decent digital camera you can point it at the sky, press the shutter release half way so that the exposure for it will be correct, still holding the button at half cock bring the object into view and press the shutter.

I'm not aware of that being a possibility...

[Rifleman]

[quote]With a half decent digital camera you can point it at the sky, press the shutter release half way so that the exposure for it will be correct, still holding the button at half cock bring the object into view and press the shutter.